Senator Proposes Shuttle Extension

[n2doc]

By Alexis Madrigal
March 4, 2010 |
2:10 pm |
Categories: Space


The turmoil and political maneuvering over the future of NASA continues in the wake of the Obama administration’s cancellation of the Constellation program.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas) proposed adding $3.4 billion to the agency’s budget between 2010 and 2012 to extend operation of the shuttle until NASA is confident that a replacement vehicle is available.

When NASA scoped out a similar Shuttle extension plan (.pdf) in April 2009, they determined that a shuttle extension through fiscal year 2012 would require at least $4.6 billion.

The new bill, S. 3068, which was read in the Senate Wednesday, has not been added to the publicly available database of legislation (THOMAS).

Its introduction comes as NASA itself gropes around for a politically viable path. While the Constellation program was widely seen as unable to meet the goals laid out for it by President Bush in the Vision for Space Exploration, it had been providing the direction for the agency since 2004.

An internal NASA e-mail obtained by Space.com laid out Administrator Charles Bolden’s call for a compromise “Plan B” that could garner support in Congress.



Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/03/shuttle-hail-mary/